The Shaking Woman or a History of My Nerves / Siri Hustvedt 199 p.

I was intrigued by the title, and not disappointed. Half memoir, half overview of the history of thought on the relationship between mind and body (yes, it's very dense reading), Hustvedt's main purpose is to understand the cause of a bizarre epilepsy-like disorder which defies classification and treatment. Her personal history includes intense, sometimes year-long migraines, and various unexplained 'seizures' during which she can still speak and think. She assembles a mind-boggling amount of research into epilepsy, neuroscience, psychiatry and philosophy but keeps it oddly readable. I am generally memoir-averse; the navel gazing makes me queasy, but this was worthwhile. If you enjoy Oliver Sacks, pick this one up.